Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Unfortunately, mixed martial arts does not always receive the warmest of welcomes in anime or manga. There are plainly some biases against it, even to the point of contradiction. Mixed martial artists are often portrayed as mere sportsmen, just playing at real combat (which I will allow this argument to a degree, but I will qualify it) or that they are strong, but have horrible attitudes and are beaten out of principle it seems.
In History's Strongest Disciple Kenichi, there is a scene that shows Odin, right before he meets Ogata Isshinsai, where he had just won a martial arts match that looks very similar to an MMA competition. He appears to make light of the competition and you do not see him use any common MMA skills in his later fights. Ryouzanpaku itself is set up to be for pure non-sport Masters. While there is nothing inherently wrong with this, the problem lies in the fact that it dismisses the combat effectiveness of MMA or its components just because they are used in sport.

Even Judo and Brazilian Jiu-jitsu are made to seem less than other martial arts. Ukita is a judoka, but always seems to be the weakest fighter in the group. And during the D of D tournament, the BJJ team got slaughtered by the Ancient Pancration team... Which should include wrestling as part of its skill set, but is never showcased. This is challenged slightly by the Command Sambo users, but it is an exception to the rule.
In Karate Shoukoushi Kohinata Minoru, Minoru learns Karate and a little BJJ and does very well and then Mutou just does Karate and is ridiculously more powerful; however, a fighter from the MMA club is taken down by a single front kick (mind you, from a very strong karateka, but all the same). In general, if someone does MMA in manga or anime, expect to see them get slaughtered.

There are exceptions to this in Grappler Baki, Tough, Teppu, All-Rounder Meguru, and some others, but in general, MMA catches a bad rap in anime and manga. There's nothing wrong with just Karate or just a style of kung fu or just boxing or whatever, but the problem is when an author belittles the fact that MMA has fundamentally changed martial arts for the better (another article) and that mixed martial artists defeat traditional martial artists on a regular basis. I've said this before and I'll say it again, if you want to be a pure karateka or boxer or wrestler or whatever you have got to push the limits of your fitness and strength and find ways to deal with your style's shortcomings. Don't blame your art. Pick your path and charge full speed ahead, but prepare for the trials and tribulations and don't expect to win just because you train hard. Scissors always beat paper, no matter how much you don't want it to.

Saturday, November 5, 2011

Kiichi's prep for Iron Kiba also included endurance training-- super endurance training. This is absolutely ridiculous, but there are some people who run ULTRA-MARATHONS! In short, an ultra-marathon is anything over a marathon, but generally go in increments like 30, 50 and 100 miles. You'll run slower during these types of events, but for longer periods of time. Kiichi went on a run that lasted more than 24 hours in order to both push his physical and mental endurance to their limits and reach a super runner's high. So, this training is not to be entered without a fair amount of prep work. Ultra-marathoning, like any elite sport has the potential to be very dangerous, so keep that in mind as you progress.

Kiichi's Iron Kiba Training B

The Goal:

Run continuously (if possible) for 24 hours.

The Progression:

Stage 1: Alternate running and walking 30 minutes each for as many rounds as possible.

Stage 2: Alternate running 1 hour and walking 30 minutes each for as many rounds as possible.

Stage 3: Alternate running 1 and a half hours and walking 30 minutes each for as many rounds as possible.

Stage 4: Alternate running 2 hours and walking 30 minutes each for as many rounds as possible.

Stage 5: Alternate running for as long as possible and walking 30 minutes for as many rounds as possible.

Notes:

There are no predefined terms for you to get to each level, however, in general you should have several rounds under your belt of each level before progressing to the next stage.

Your feet will take the brunt of this training. If possible run on grass or dirt for as much as possible to spare yourself the beating. The first stage will really give you the ability to rest in between the pounding of your feet against the ground and you'll be able to build it gradually.

You will need to eat. Sports drinks, carb gels, and protein-type bars are going to be essential to keep you going in the later rounds.

This training is not to be done all the time and is designed to be just another workout thrown into the mix of Real Anime Training workouts.

About Me

I'm a martial artist, fitness enthusiast, ACE Certified Personal Trainer, and the author of Real Anime Training. I'm always looking for new ways to challenge myself and my ultimate goals are to spread knowledge about fitness and martial arts and to become a professional athlete.